Apparatus for moistening air



(No Model.)

H. COOPER. APPARATUS ron-mols'rnmue AIR.

Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

Ill l llll llllllllllv ATTORNEY UNITED STATES,

HERBERT COOPER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,604, dated August 11,1896,

Application filed July 24, 1895. Serial No. 556,997. (N0 model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT COOPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening Air, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionhas forits object the production of currentsfof air and at the same time impregnating the air with a liquid, the character of the liquid depending upon the use to which the moistened air is to be applied.

hen the apparatus is applied simply as a moistening device, as, forinstance, applied to the moistening of tobacco, then water will be the liquid used, and to cause the air to take up and retain a maxim um amount of water I propose to increase the temperature of the air by supplying steam to the apparatus along with the water.

The construction and arrangement of the various parts of my improved apparatus for moistenin g air are shown in the accompanying drawings, to which I will now refer to more fully describe my invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 a transverse section on the line 2 2.

The main portion or body of the apparatus consists of a cylindrical drum A, a hood or cover B at one end bolted to the body A, having a reduced outlet 0, and spider-arms carrying the bearing D, and a bearing E at the other end of the drum arranged in alinement with the bearing D and carried by the spider-arms F, the ends of which are secured to an internal flange at this end of the drum A.

Fitted to rotate in the bearings D and E is the shaft G, to one end of which, in the discharge-opening O, is secured the fan H,

and to the other end, which extends outside.

of the bearing E, is secured the driving-pulley I. The shaft is bored or hollowed out from the pulley end, and the part of it within the drum A is perforated and provided with radial pipes J J, having holes facing in direcan injector-nozzle O in communication with the pipe P, which may convey steam or compressed air to the chamber Kto force and spray liquid through the shaft G into the chamber A. The valve Q regulates the supply of steam or compressed air to the injector.

In the drum A, near the fan end, are placed the diaphragms R R. These are perforated plates with the openings of each in line with or opposite the blank spaces of the adjacent diapliragms. The openings may be of any form, slots being shownin the drawings. Any desired number of these diaphragms may be used. They are divided by spacing-lugs and secured by the bolts S S to an inner projecting flange on the hood or cover B, thus admitting of their ready application to the apparatus and removal therefrom. The function of these diaphragms is to act as separators to collect and remove any excess or large particles of the liquid from the air, as it passes through and around them, which will collect on the plates and fall to the bottom of the drum, the liquid being discharged from the drum through the discharge-pipe T.

The number of separator plates or diaphragms used in the apparatus also determines the degree of moisture of the air dis charged by the fan H, the greater the number of plates used the drier the air will be.

The apparatus will generally be located at a height from the floor and is shown provided withbracket-pieces U, by means of which it may be secured to a ceiling. It is adapted to be used for various purposes, as a moistening-machine, a ventilating apparatus to supplycooled and moistened air, or heated moistened air to rooms and buildings, as a disinfecting apparatus, 850., the kind or quality of the liquid selected being adapted to the purpose for which the apparatus is used.

The operation is as follows: Assumingthe apparatus is used as a moistener, to moisten tobacco, for instance, the discharge end 0 is placed in the wall or partition (indicated by dotted lines Y) of the room or chamber in which the tobacco is placed. The fan rotatin g by power applied to the pulley I will draw air through the apparatus, and the air in passing through the drum A will absorb or take up the water and steam which is distributed throughout the drum from the pipes J J of the revolving shaft, said water being sprayed into and through the shaft by the steam issuing from the nozzle 0 of the injector, which jet of steam, by its spraying aetion on the water carried along with it, causes the water to be practically formed into mist and in condition to be readily taken up by the air passing through the apparatus. The air thus somewhat heated by the steam or heated mist retains a maximum of moisture and passes through the separators R R, where it is released of any excessively large globules of water, which will be arrested by the separators, said air being thus supplied to themoistening-chamber in practically a condition of high humidity only.

I claim as my invention 1. In an apparatus for producing moistened currents of air, the combination of mixingchamber comprising a drum and a hood or cover secured to one of its ends, a fan located in the hood or cover at one end thereof, a liquid-supplying device at the other end of the chamber, a rotating liquid-distributor in the chamber, and separator-diaphragms located in the chamber near the fan and secured to the hood so as to be removable therewith.

2. In an apparatus for producing moistened currents of air, the combination of mixingchamber comprising a drum and a hood or cover secured to one of its ends, a fan located in the hood or cover at one end thereof, a liquid-supplyin g device consisting of liquid-supply and injector nozzle at the other end of the chamber, a rotating liquid-distributer in the chamber, into which the liquid is sprayed by the injector separator-diaphragms located in the chamber near the fan and secured to the hood so as to be removable therewith, and

a liquid-discharge pipe at the lower part of the chamber. 1

3. In an apparatus for producing moistened currents of air, the combination of a mixingchamber consisting of a drum and a hood or cover at one end and an open frame at the other end provided with centrally-located bearings, a shaft fitted to rotate in said bearings, extending outside the bearing of the open frame and longitudinally bored at this end and provided with holes opening into the chamber, a driving-pulley on this end of the shaft, a liquid-supplying device at this end of the shaft, a fan located in the hood or cover and secured to the shaft and an injector arranged in alinement with the axis of the shaft at its bored end for forcing and spraying the liquid into and through the shaft.

4. In an apparatus for producing moistened currents of air, the combination of a mixingchamber consisting of a drum and a hood or cover at one end and an open frame at the other end provided with centrally-located bearings, a shaft fitted to rotate in said bearings, extending outside the bearing of the open frame and longitudinally bored at this end and provided with holes opening into the chamber, a driving-pulley on this end of the shaft, a liquidesupplying device comprising an injector-nozzle in alinement with the bore at this end of the shaft, a fan located in the hood or cover and secured to the shaft and a separator consisting of perforated plates lo cated in the chamber near the fan and secured to the hood or cover so as to be removable therewith. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of July, 1895.

HERBERT COOPER.

\Vitnesses:

E. B. DUDLEY, WALTER B. Tours. 

